Re: The "news" that former FBI agent Mark Felt broke the law, broke his code of ethics, broke his oath and was the main source for Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward's articles that helped depose Richard Nixon, a few thoughts.

Can anyone even remember now what Nixon did that was so terrible? He ended the war in Vietnam, brought home the POW's, ended the war in the Mideast, opened relations with China, started the first nuclear weapons reduction treaty, saved Eretz Israel's life, started the Environmental Protection Administration. Does anyone remember what he did that was bad?

Oh, now I remember. He lied. He was a politician who lied. How remarkable. He lied to protect his subordinates who were covering up a ridiculous burglary that no one to this date has any clue about its purpose. He lied so he could stay in office and keep his agenda of peace going. That was his crime. He was a peacemaker and he wanted to make a world where there was a generation of peace. And he succeeded.

That is his legacy. He was a peacemaker. He was a lying, conniving, covering up peacemaker. He was not a lying, conniving drug addict like JFK, a lying, conniving war starter like LBJ, a lying conniving seducer like Clinton -- a lying conniving peacemaker. That is Nixon's kharma.

When his enemies brought him down, and they had been laying for him since he proved that Alger Hiss was a traitor, since Alger Hiss was their fair-haired boy, this is what they bought for themselves in the Kharma Supermarket that is life:

1.) The defeat of the South Vietnamese government with decades of death and hardship for the people of Vietnam.

2.) The assumption of power in Cambodia by the bloodiest government of all time, the Khmer Rouge, who killed a third of their own people, often by making children beat their own parents to death. No one doubts RN would never have let this happen.

So, this is the great boast of the enemies of Richard Nixon, including Mark Felt: they made the conditions necessary for the Cambodian genocide. If there is such a thing as kharma, if there is such a thing as justice in this life of the next, Mark Felt has bought himself the worst future of any man on this earth. And Bob Woodward is right behind him, with Ben Bradlee bringing up the rear. Out of their smug arrogance and contempt, they hatched the worst nightmare imaginable: genocide. I hope they are happy now -- because their future looks pretty bleak to me.

Ben Stein is a writer, actor, economist, and lawyer in Beverly Hills and Malibu, and author of "Ben Stein's Diary" each month in The American Spectator.

I think the correct phrase here is not "seducer" but "serial rapist". Clinton is a common criminal, not a good 'ol boy politician, who was indicted (by impeachment) but not convicted by the good 'ol boy network of cronies and thieves who comprise the US Senate. So, too, his "wife" is a criminal, who has yet to be indicted, but that would be too much to expect given her tentacles into too many folks.

Many contend Nixon was trying to tie the DNC in with the VVAW which had voted on killing prominent lawmakers. In other words, if the burglars had found what they were looking for, John F'n Kerry would not be a Senator today.

21
posted on 06/01/2005 6:09:16 AM PDT
by Safetgiver
(Only two requisites to be a judge. Gray hair to look wise and hemmorhoids to look concerned.)

Yes he wanted power, as opposed to the original argument that Mr. Stein made that all he wanted was peace. Now c'mon, Nixon was not a Miss America contestant. Ben Stein's argument is a stre-e-t-t-cch. I will ignore your name calling. Nothing I said was arrogant.

Sorry, but Nixon had power. He was President of the United States and had been reelected in 1972 with an overwhelming mandate, i.e., 49 states (520 electoral votes, which was almost 97% of the total) and 61% of the popular vote. Nixon received a higher percentage of the popular vote than even Reagan in 1984.

The reason that the White House "Plumbers" got started was to plug up security leaks (hint - leaks/plumbers!!) where sensitive intelligence information was being leaked out, some of it going directly to the Soviet Union.

Remember Daniel Ellsberg, who LEAKED the Pentagon Papers. Other information would get to the Democrats (sort of like having Senate Intelligence Committee meetings in secret, but the secrets would leak over to the Soviet Union ...)

Much of what the Plumbers were doing, while "questionable", was designed to protect our country's secrets (unlike Clinton's goon squad that protected his sorry little head.)

Nixon didn't want POWER .... he had the power he wanted as the President. He didn't want our country being sold down the river. He didn't want a repeat of the Korean War experience where Red sympathizers leaked military plans to UN personnel, who would then advise the Soviet Union of what the plans were. Nixon wanted to win the war in South Viet Nam, with honor .... but the Democrats in the U.S. would rather see us defeated.

BJK: Ben Stein is fairly accurate with his article. Your supposition is just plain mean . .. and wrong. If Nixon wanted power, he would have acted the way Clinton did (who wanted power to puff himself up) ... and he would have persuaded 1/3 of the Senate to hand tough and fight the articles of impeachment ... and he could have prevailed (like Clinton did). But he chose to do the right thing, and he resigned.

Wrong! As is your assumption of 'the killing fields'. Nixon knew the extent of the communist infiltration into all of our institutions. When he was forced to resign, in infamy, it was a communist victory. Your observation has been noted. What shocked Tricky Dick wasn't the extent of the communist infiltration into our institutions; what shocked him was the extent of communist indoctrination into the minds of Americans.

Mr. Nixon, having won the 1968 election in a squeaker, wished to manipulate the 1972 election to assure victory. Internal polling a year or two before the election indicated the only candidate over which he'd have a walk was Sen. George McGovern. Thus, the CREEP (Committee to Re-Elect the President) did what it could to aid the senator and harm his opponents.

In this, Mr. Nixon did nothing that Dammocraps haven't done before, and likely much less. But when it became apparent to the Republican leadership that Mr. Nixon had likely committed felonies, the Republican leadership informed Mr. Nixon that he had to go.

That is a critical difference between Republicans and Dammocraps. Republicans hold fast to the concept that the president may not be a felon. Dammocraps celebrate their felon presidents.

35
posted on 06/01/2005 6:26:24 AM PDT
by sitetest
(If Roe is not overturned, no unborn child will ever be protected in law.)

True, but since he claimed (and probably quite rightly) that Congress was out-of-line, he had a point. Nixon was lily-white when compared to LBJ and Kennedy. And concerning Clinton...let's not even go there.

One more thing needs to be said, Hillary,Hitlary, she played a very big role in bringing down a President. This low life scum that wanted the White House, got it and didn't care who had to die along the way and the she now sits in the Senate. Put there by none other than the NY times and the TERRORIST Groups that attacked this country. Hitlary on the rise again and she and her COMMUNIST left wingers and terrorist buddies are trying hard to bring down another President. Hitlary and her Communist lefty buddies have got to keep the U N scum going and stop all conservative judges from being nominated. As long as the corruption sits in our Senate and our Courts Hitlary and her Communist buddies will ride straight to the W H. Bring down a President, attack your own country and people. Such pride and glory, what bigger honor could one scum ask for? THE COWARD CAN NOW COME OUT OF HIDING BECAUSE HE IS GOING TO DIE. HE WON'T FEEL THE PAIN ON EARTH BUT HE COULD BURN IN HELL FOR ETERNITY.

The sainted Kennedy brothers, Jovial Jack and Pitbull Bob, found time when they weren't sharing Marilyn Monroe, to run more ILLEGAL wiretaps than any other combo in US history. For all you libs, that meant a lot of additional time in the FBI for old J. Edgar, who knew where all the bodies were buried, and who had files on all their shenanigans. Oh, yeah. JFK and LBJ made major use of bugs, IRS audits, etc. to hound their enemies, including Nixon. JFK got into bed (figuratively) with MoMo Gianacana and the Chicago mob to get elected, and to try to assassinate Castro (not the worst idea he ever had). His, at best, passivity led to the assassination of Pres. Diem, a US ally during a war. Compared to these guys, Uncle Milhouse was a choirboy. He was hounded out of office for two reasons: He had been on the left's hit list since Helen Gahagan Douglas and Hiss, and because the left and their toads in the media could do it.

38
posted on 06/01/2005 6:28:09 AM PDT
by PzLdr
("The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am" - Darth Vader)

One more thing needs to be said, Hillary,Hitlary, she played a very big role in bringing down a President. This low life scum that wanted the White House, got it and didn't care who had to die along the way and the she now sits in the Senate. Put there by none other than the NY times and the TERRORIST Groups that attacked this country. Hitlary on the rise again and she and her COMMUNIST left wingers and terrorist buddies are trying hard to bring down another President. Hitlary and her Communist lefty buddies have got to keep the U N scum going and stop all conservative judges from being nominated. As long as the corruption sits in our Senate and our Courts Hitlary and her Communist buddies will ride straight to the W H. Bring down a President, attack your own country and people. Such pride and glory, what bigger honor could one scum ask for? THE COWARD CAN NOW COME OUT OF HIDING BECAUSE HE IS GOING TO DIE. HE WON'T FEEL THE PAIN ON EARTH BUT HE COULD BURN IN HELL FOR ETERNITY.

True, but since he claimed (and probably quite rightly) that Congress was out-of-line, he had a point. Nixon was lily-white when compared to LBJ and Kennedy. And concerning Clinton...let's not even go there.

That's really what bugs me. How did a man who handled so many critical issues with ease manage to bungle so badly in handling Watergate? You and I both know that, properly handled, it never should have been more than a minor blip, despite the best efforts of the jackals.

40
posted on 06/01/2005 6:32:49 AM PDT
by beezdotcom
(I'm usually either right or wrong...)

From what I understand, he himself indicated that understood that coverups cause problems. I believe that he was betrayed by a 'friend' (I forget who - maybe Dean?) who lied to him about the break in several times. He therefore thought that Congress was overstepping on Executive Privilege, so dug in his heels over the issue.

I guess that his big problem was going to bat and showing loyalty for underlings who basically betrayed him.

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